U.S. archbishop: ‘Pray for Ireland’ as they consider legalizing ‘homicide’ of unborn

American Archbishop Charles J. Chaput is asking his archdiocese to pray for Ireland as the country approaches a vote to legalise abortion on demand.

“Ireland has always had the wisdom to reject the kind of social ‘progress’ that depends on the shedding of innocent blood and the destruction of new life,” Chaput wrote in his weekly column. “Now that nation’s conscience hangs in the balance. Today, prolife efforts in Ireland urgently need our support.”

In his column, Chaput published an email he received from a married couple with children. The family asked him to pray for Ireland, which on May 25 will vote on whether to repeal the Eighth Amendment. The Eighth Amendment explicitly guarantees human rights for unborn children.

“Forty million Americans claim Irish ancestry,” the couple wrote. “Ireland spread the faith widely in America with Catholic immigrants. For generations, Irish missionary priests and nuns cultivated the Catholic faith in the United States. How are we repaying Ireland? Today, America is backing the repeal of Ireland’s Amendment 8 through the support of U.S. abortion groups and wealthy donors.”

“For 1500 years, since St. Patrick brought the faith to Ireland, her people have defended the sanctity of human life,” the husband and wife reminded Chaput. “St. Patrick, Saint Brigid, and all Irish saints, protect Ireland from the culture of death.”

“From the start, Amendment 8 has been targeted by abortion-rights activists both in Ireland and abroad because it explicitly recognizes the humanity of the unborn child. In other words, to legitimize abortion, the law must first dehumanize the child developing in the womb,” Chaput explained. “The only way to sell this kind of legalized homicide to the Irish public has been to control and deform the language of the debate. Thus prolife organizations have faced an uphill battle for years in defending Amendment 8 in a misleading and heavily biased media environment.”

“This week and throughout the coming days, I ask our clergy and laypeople across the Archdiocese of Philadelphia – many of them descendants of our city’s Irish immigrants – to pray for Ireland and especially for the defense of Amendment 8,” Chaput implored.